Opinion
Column

The City: It’s just common courtesy to yield to a procession — barring an emergency

O’Neil Funeral Home now has a flashing orange LED light on the roof of their lead car in funeral processions. Funeral home director Joe O’Neil says the highly-visible amber light helps motorists know of a funeral procession but he adds London drivers are pretty respectful of funerals. (MIKE HENSEN, The London Free Press)

I’m in my car, late for an appointment. And then a funeral procession pulls past and all other traffic grinds to a halt.

I curse and fume.

But later, I ask myself: Why did that make me so frustrated? What are motorists supposed to do when they encounter a slow parade of vehicles heading to a funeral? And how do most motorists react?

The answer to the first question is fairly obvious: More of us are more stressed than ever.

“We seem to be ‘on’ all the time,” says Rod Beaujot, professor emeritus in sociology at Western University. “Especially with the various devices that we have to keep track of what’s happening . . . there’s a feeling that we need to be responsive to everything, all the time.”

Beaujot cites a 2010 study published in Canadian Social Trends that revealed 73% of Canadian workers between ages 20 and 64 reported their lives were either “stressed” or ”highly stressed.”

“There’s more overlap between home and work,” says Beaujot. “If there’s a problem happening at home, you immediately have to deal with that.”

But does that mean more people are getting more annoyed by funeral processions?

Yes. And no.

As O’Neil Funeral Home and Chapel managing director Joe O’Neil points out, local traffic congestion is increasing, while motorists’ attention spans seem to be lessening.

That dangerous combination prompted O’Neil to obtain, just days ago, new flashing LED lights for the lead cars in his company’s funeral processions.

“Traffic is getting crazier and we just had to upgrade (our lights),” says O’Neil, adding the highly-visible amber lights are affixed to the roof of the first vehicle in a procession. “It improves safety.”

But despite the challenges of modern life, O’Neil says most London drivers are polite and respectful toward funeral processions.

“When I talk to people who come to funerals (here) from out of town, they tell me that people in London respect funeral processions better than any other city,” says O’Neil. “I think things have gotten worse than they were 30 years ago, but compared to other Ontario cities, everybody says we’re No. 1 (when it comes to yielding to funeral processions).”

And what are people supposed to do?

O’Neil says that, first of all, vehicles in a funeral procession are legally bound to obey all rules of the road.

But there’s also a London by-law, he adds, that states no one should interrupt or cut past a funeral procession without “good cause.”

So strictly speaking, motorists in a funeral procession shouldn’t cruise through red lights or stop signs, and other motorists should yield.

But is the bylaw enforced?

“In instances where a family member or someone has recorded the licence plate of somebody being particularly obnoxious and they’ve called police, yes, the police have followed up,” says O’Neil. “It’s rare, but I can think of about half a dozen times in the past 30 years when I’ve seen it happen.”

So yes, we’re stressed. And yes, delays can frustrate. But overall, Londoners still seem to respect the sight of a funeral procession.

And me? Next time I encounter one, I’ll once again pull over and wait. But this time, I’ll try to quell my frustration and take a minute to properly pay respect to someone whose days have ended.